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Catalogers, have you blogged yourselves yet? A recent Non Sequitur comic strip pictured a supposedly typical pick-up scene at a bar, showing a women instantly accessing data (via Wi-Fi) about her newly met potential mate, then just as quickly disappearing when she learns he's a single father of two. The single father asks the bartender, “Ever think of making this a Google-free zone?” “Are you kidding?” the bartender replies. “Look at all the time and aggravation it just saved you.”

More time and less aggravation is something we all could use. With Google's new Blog Search (www.google.com/blogsearch), finding information — including what others are saying about virtually any topic — is a snap. For a quick test of how well Blog Search worked, I typed in my name and in seconds discovered that some folks loved my Direct columns enough to quote them to bolster their own points, or were ticked off enough to disagree at some length. I got immediate feedback with minimal effort.

Sure, sometimes blogs can be nastily negative, but discovering what's wrong is often better than learning what's right. So it was a surprise to find that hardly any catalogers have blogs on their Web sites, either as a feedback mechanism or to gather data for public relations use.

Luckily, I discovered one direct marketer who turned a text-only blog into a graphic one to achieve some interesting results. According to an item that ran in The New York Times not long ago, John Fluevog “has been selling colorful and distinctive shoes that win raves among rock stars and fashion models.” He gets folks to submit shoe designs to his Web site (www.fluevog.com/files_2/os-1.html) promising “fame, fortune and Fluevogdom.” (Go to the site for hilarious copy that explains how.) Anyone can vote for the shoes they'd like Fluevog to make, see the winning designs, and shop for shoes. It's a clever way to drive site traffic, get free ideas and plenty of PR, and interact with customers.

Possibly catalogers ignore blogs because many blogs are little more than a mess of words that few read. Not so with IBM (www.ibm.com), which shows how to take this new, somewhat unwieldy communication form and use it to everyone's benefit. IBM presents timely business info in an organized manner. The main topic as of this writing (topics, being timely, vary regularly) was “The Future of Government,” found by clicking on the Services and Industry Solutions tab. The article “Six Trends Transforming Governments” focused on the government industry. Not in government? Not to worry. IBM supplies data by industry and specific solutions. Want informative blogs or podcasts? Just type the words into IBM's search area and several choices come up.

For another example that's just as positive although poles apart, turn to Alloy (www.alloy.com), sellers of teen goodies. This great site, filled with interactive fun sure to draw users back again and again, has a frequently changing home page that offers everything from “zero-cost” tune downloads to a personal messaging feature called “Shout Outs.” And there are loads of tabs — one of them, Boards, is a live chat section covering teen-friendly subjects like fashion, sports and body image. But then what would you expect from a company that draws comments like the following from entertainment analyst Joyce Schwarz: “This convergence of content, community and commerce has helped brand Alloy as a leader for Gen Y.” That her blog, Hollywood2020, even mentions a cataloger just reinforces the point that entertainment is a key component of today's marketing.

The San Diego Zoo's site (www.sandiegozoo.org) is abuzz with techno toys. Here's a blog that takes comments (some just post rants and allow no discussion) and features live cams that show a variety of animals along with a map that adapts to pinpoint the animals' locations. Surely there's a lot catalogers can learn from this glorious site. In fact, Cabela's already has its own version: Check out the scheduled viewings of customer-supplied hunting/fishing videos and the enticing video clips showing products in use.

Still, it seems most catalogers have chosen not to include blogs either as talking point/information-gathering areas on their Web sites or as part of a PR program. It could be that this absence might forewarn of some traps that experienced PR people already had learned to avoid.

So I called Lisa Hahn, president of New Jersey public relations agency Caugherty Hahn Communications. First, we talked about the wisdom of having a blog on a cataloger's Web site. Lisa pointed out instances of blogging gone wild.

“Once you start blogging, you have no control over the bloggers,” she said.

“But you don't have control over them anyway,” I countered. “So why shouldn't you at least try to initiate control?”

And that, it appears, can be an incredibly bad idea, especially if you're using blogging as PR. If bloggers think you're trying to control their content, it's very likely you'll get “flamed” — that is, receive critical feedback, and probably lots of it. Lisa believes that whenever you initiate contact or add a comment on an existing blog site you should always make it clear if you are representing a company about which the blog is being written.

Caugherty Hahn, like any good PR firm, can assemble a database of reputable bloggers. Lisa says there are now some 1,700, and her agency can customize the list to match a client's needs. Both she and I believe that blogging — whether as PR or on your catalog's site — is not unlike regular PR or catalog prospecting; it works best when you have a niche. Right now most blogs (such as IBM's) are limited to technology or politics, though there are those that cover lifestyle issues as well.

The bottom line: Plenty of blogging opportunities are starting to develop. My advice? Don't jump in. Wade in.

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KATIE MULDOON (kmuldoon@muldoonandbaer.com) is president of DM/catalog consulting firm Muldoon & Baer Inc., Palm Beach Gardens, FL.